


The Song Remembers When

by Natalanisha



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen, implied char death, implied eren x jean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 13:06:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1348534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natalanisha/pseuds/Natalanisha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jean has been coping with Marco being gone. And how it's amazing how one song can bring it all back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Song Remembers When

Jean chuckled as he stood beside Eren at the counter, waiting for the cashier to give him his change. 

“I’ve seen Armin verbally castrate someone before, Eren. I think he’s been around Hanji and Levi too much.”

He wasn’t quite sure when he’d went from barely able to stand him to being friends, but he liked the change. It was a lot easier than being ticked off ninety percent of the time. 

The time period the change had occurred in seemed a little fuzzy, so he figured it was awhile ago. The details weren’t as important anyway. Not as important as the fact he didn’t have someone driving his blood pressure through the roof constantly. 

“Yeah, but you should have been there.” Eren insisted, bouncing a bit in place.

“I’ll let you tell me about it in more detail later.” Jean promised, taking his change and taking a step back. He had started to turn away with him when a new song came on overhead. He didn’t realize he had frozen in place until Eren took his arm to guide him to a table. 

Eren’s lips moved, but Jean didn’t really hear anything but the song. It brought to mind a warm smile and kind brown eyes. Memories of tan, freckled skin and gentle hands; and a name, Marco. How long had it been since he’d thought about him?

Warmth filled him, as well as memories. He knew this song. He could remember the first time they had heard it. He had heard it with the man he loved, who had given him those memories. 

Eren was still watching him; he looked worried so Jean smiled. He didn’t seem to reassured by it however. 

Jean supposed he really shouldn’t be reassured. He had thought he had pushed away all those memories. That he had hidden all the thoughts about his future that he would share with Marco. A future he had accepted wa not going to happen, despite all his wishes then to the contrary. Then? Ha, even now, now that it was all in his mind, he still wished it could have happened. 

His hands clenched on the table as he stared at them absently. He’d had no idea a song could bring so many emotions and memories forward in a person. 

He remembered when they’d heard it. They had been taking a long trip, heading through some mountains. That much, he knew. The smile and laugh that Marco had given before they had turned it up and sang along. Enjoying a song that had fit their moment away from everyone so perfectly. 

It had felt so perfect he could have cried. 

He couldn’t remember where they had stopped, but they must have. He frowned slightly, then shrugged. Obviously, they must have made it all the way back. He shook his head and pressed a hand against his forehead. He hated that he couldn’t remember more of the trip and what had happened. 

/A flash of bright lights through pouring rain, a slick road and a panicked voice calling his name./

Marco, had been his everything. He remembered how sad he had looked when he had told him he was going far away. How gentle his hand had been on his cheek when he had told Jean he couldn’t go with him. 

How fucking broken Jean had felt at not being able to go with him.

/How red the blood on that hand and face had been while he’d been laid out on that stretcher./ 

He shook his head, banishing the image. That was just silly. Of course he had been fine when he’d left. He hadn’t been injured, let alone like that. 

Jean closed his eyes and took a deep breath, vaguely aware of Eren’s arm around his shoulder. A warm weight he was grateful for, that felt familiar and safe. He felt he hadn’t moved on as much as Marco would have liked, but he’d been doing his best. 

The memories there became clear, and now he remembered why he and Eren had gotten closer. The temperamental brat had been an unexpected comfort after he had been left behind by Marco. He had poked and aggravated Jean into reacting, eating, just about anything that required effort more than lying there. 

/I don’t want to Eren! I don’t want to eat, I’m not hungry dammit! Don’t you know he’s go-” Jean snapped interrupted by an oddly exhausted looking Eren. He looked like someone who had been repeating this conversation over and over. And maybe he had. 

“You still have to move on! He wouldn’t have wanted you wasting away like this!” Eren had snapped. Jean had nearly broken even more. A light glinted in Eren’s eyes, a look of sorrow crossed his face before he became determined.

“Just because the two of you broke up and he left you behind is no reason to be an idiot!”/

Jean remembered the confusion about those words, barely processing them before he had latched onto them like they were a life line. Broke up, of course that was what had happened. He had lost Marco to his family’s wishes after all.

He had felt such relief, and then instantly regret about it. Why was he relieved that Marco had broken up with him?

Something had to have happened, they had said goodbye after all. And his heart had broken even if he couldn’t remember their good bye past a sad smile and soft words. He could also feel, that he didn’t really want them. There was something he didn’t want to remember and it was likely for good reason.

“Hey, I’m sorry Eren. Let’s go home.” He said, taking a deep breath and smiling when Eren gave him that relieved smile of his. “Thanks for putting up with me.” He added, hugging him briefly before he stood up. He was a little shaky, but happy once more.

“Way to make me worry about you.” Eren huffed, though he looked happier now. 

Jean’s mind finally calmed as Eren smiled and guided him out of the store. He left the counter and all his anxiety behind. He let himself truly relax and hold onto Eren’s arm for the comfort he got from the action as they walked home. He could just do his best.

That was right, all he could do now was hope they could be happy again. That Marco was happy as well. He couldn’t go back, however much he wanted to, but he could go forward like Marco had wanted him to. And if the memories got lost again from him and the world, at least the song would remember when.

**Author's Note:**

> Was a little hurried, but something I just thought about doing when I heard a song on my cd. Done mostly for myself, but I do hope you liked it.


End file.
